The USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service is making $21 million in technical assistance grants available through the Rural Energy for America Program. The funds will help agricultural producers and rural small businesses access federal funds for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.
“This will make sure rural Americans get access to the grants to make energy more affordable, create new economic opportunity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Rural Business-Cooperative Service Administrator Dr. Karama Neal.
Grant recipients can include state, tribal, or local governments, colleges and universities, electric cooperatives and utility companies, and for-profit and non-profit organizations. “The technical assistance grants will provide hands-on support to farmers, ranchers, and rural small business owners seeking federal funds for renewable energy systems like wind and solar,” she says. “This will help small businesses and producers lower energy costs and strengthen their operations.”
Interested applicants should contact their USDA Rural Development state Office for information.